The Hammer and the Scythe
by Juwpiter081
Summary: A series of oneshots focused on the Ruby/Nora Rosehammer pairing. Mostly interconnected, but not chronological.
1. Chapter 1

**So, there was a post on the Reiss sub-Reddit that was talking about pairings that needed some love, and one of those was Ruby/Nora. Someone called it Rosehammer, and I liked it, so I'll call them Rosehammer. Anyways, I wanted to try different pairings than what I was comfortable with (WhiteRose and Bumblebee), and Ruby/Nora was the pairing I was going to start with. So, here we are.**

* * *

**The Hammer and the Scythe**

Yang sat next to her little sister, but her gaze was focused on the story telling huntress before her. Nora Valkyrie could make something as boring as a walk in the park and turn it into the next bestseller. However, Lie Ren was nearby to bring realism back into Nora's tales.

After Nora finished a story about how she single handedly took out an entire pack of Ursas with nothing more than a pocket knife (to which Ren corrected that it was an Ursa and two Beowolves, she had Magnhild, and he was present), Yang turned to look at her sister.

Ruby usually listened to Nora's stories, same as Yang, but normally the redhead wasn't as enthralled as the blonde. Yang liked to focus on what she enjoyed, and she could tune out everything else. However, Yang noticed that Ruby looked exactly like what Blake had described her 'Nora story time' face as.

Yang smirked. Ruby was never the most sociable person. She liked to keep to herself, and usually let her actions speak. Granted, if it wasn't combat, those actions spoke as eloquently as a bull in a china shop. Ruby on the battlefield was graceful. Ruby in a hallway was clumsy.

Still, Yang practically forced Ruby into situations where the redhead was uncomfortable. It was the only way to ensure that Ruby could deal with her awkwardness and get past it. It happened when they first got into Beacon. And it seemed that it had finally worked.

"So," Yang started, getting Ruby's attention. The redhead looked at Yang. "You want to do some training later?" The blonde asked. She was glad that Ruby was starting to become more self-sufficient, but she was still her sister. She wanted to spend some time with her.

Ruby smiled, but shook her head. "Actually, I was headed into town with Nora later." She said plainly. Yang turned to the hammer wielding girl, who nodded excitedly. Yang raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" She said, her voice a mixture of awe and disappointment. "And what will you two be doing?" She asked, her voice now taking on a teasing tone.

Ruby apparently didn't plan for Yang interrogating her, and immediately began to stumble over her words. However, Nora spoke for her. "We're just going shopping!" Yang turned to the orange haired girl. There was something odd about the way she said the words. But, then again, there was always something odd about the way that Nora spoke.

However, if Ren gave Nora an odd look, then that meant there really was something odd going on. "You didn't say anything about shopping before." The black haired boy droned, his voice even, if slightly confused. Nora turned to Ren, a serious look on her face.

"That's because it's for girl stuff, silly!" She said, her voice hushed. Ren smirked.

"And that's stopped you before?" He asked sarcastically. Jaune had to strain himself not to laugh. Both Nora and Ren shot him a look that said, 'Shut up.', and shut up Jaune did, returning to his meal.

Nora turned back to Ren. "Well, I know you don't like doing that, so I didn't bother telling you." She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. This time, Pyrrha almost burst out laughing. The entire table looked to the flame-haired girl with odd looks.

"And that's stopped you before?" She said, even going so far as to imitate Ren's speech pattern. That caused Jaune to burst out laughing, which started Pyrrha laughing. Ren sighed, though he had the makings of a laugh in his voice.

The laughing stopped when Nora and Ruby both stood up. "Well, if you'll excuse us, we'll be headed off now." Ruby said. Her and Nora both headed out of the cafeteria briskly, their pace slightly faster than usual.

When the pair were gone, Yang turned to Ren. "Is it me, or is there something, I dunno, odd, about what just happened?" She asked, keeping her voice a delicate as possible. If there was something you did not do with Ren, it was talk bad about Nora, whether you meant to or not.

Ren gave the brawler a raised eyebrow, but nodded. "Yeah. She's never done anything without at least telling me first." He said, his voice somewhere between stoicism and confusion. "Why?" He asked, not letting Yang's inquiry go unanswered.

Yang frowned. "It's nothing." She said, but she knew it wouldn't be bought. Indeed, Ren simply raised his eyebrow further. "Alright…I was thinking about tailing them." She confessed. To be honest, she only just got the idea, but she figured she'd let Ren of all people know.

Ren sighed, but smirked. "That actually sounds like a good idea." He said, grabbing his tray. "Nora's been spending a lot of time with Ruby, and no offence, but I don't really know if I could trust her." He said. Yang felt her eye twitch, but she could see his point.

"Yeah, same goes for Nora." Yang countered, grabbing her tray. As they dumped the leftovers, the two headed out of the cafeteria. "So, where do you think they're headed?" Yang asked. Ren shrugged.

"I have no idea." He said flatly. "But Nora isn't the most subtle person around." He added with a small bit of mirth. Yang smirked at that. "She shouldn't be too hard to find."

* * *

Ruby led Nora to their dorms. They were grabbing their scrolls in case they needed to be contacted. It was the weekend, which meant that they didn't have classes, nor did they have any training exercises planned. However, there could be an emergency that needed them here. So, they weren't leaving without them.

As Ruby was looking for her scroll, she thought back to the cafeteria, and particularly to Yang. She didn't lie when she told Yang she was going into town with Nora, but the reason for it was. No, they weren't going shopping for 'girl stuff.' That was a lie in case they were asked about their whereabouts.

The reason Ruby didn't tell Yang the truth was because she wasn't sure how Yang would handle it. I mean, how do you tell your sister that you're gay?

It started some time after the teams were formed. One day, Ruby was talking to Jaune when the rest of JNPR showed up. Eventually Ruby and Nora got into an animated conversation about nothing in particular. Soon the two were sending messages over their scrolls through the day. Yang knew about this, since she was always gushing about how Ruby made a friend all by herself.

Then, one day, Ruby got a message from Nora.

'Hey, Ruby. I've been writing and rewriting this message all day, and I'm not even sure if I'll hit send or not, but here goes.

I'm gonna come flat out and say I'm gay. Yep. I've been into girls since I could remember. It seems odd, since everyone thinks me and Ren are a thing, but we aren't. You know that, though.

Anyways, I'm not sure if you swing that way or not, but do you think I could take you out? On a date? I won't get mad if you say no. I've been rejected plenty of times, it's nothing new to me. But I've never felt what I've felt with anyone else, as much as I do for you.

I hope you don't think I'm creepy, or a freak. I haven't even told Ren about my…you know? If you do say no, can you at least keep this a secret?

Nora.'

Ruby looked at the message dumbstruck. Not once in her life had she ever been asked out. Not once had she ever dated anybody. Yet, here, before her, was an invitation to a date, from a girl no less. It made Ruby think. What should she do? She couldn't tell Yang. Firstly, she wouldn't betray Nora's trust like that, even if she did say no in the end. But, other than her, Ruby didn't have anybody to turn to.

Ruby thought long and hard about her answer. She was able to talk with Nora about anything, no matter what. She hung out with her everyday if possible, and for long periods of time. When they weren't hanging out, they were messaging, sometimes long into the night. In a way, the two were already dating. It just wasn't official.

Ruby met with Nora to answer her face to face. She told Nora that she never thought about her sexuality like that, but she was willing to try it out. Nora was so excited, she practically crushed Ruby in her hug.

That was almost a month ago.

Since then, the two had gone out in secret, usually when their teams went into Vale. Today was the first time since they began dating that it would be just them. Ruby was excited to finally spend time alone with her girlfriend. Hell, she was still getting used to referring to Nora as her 'girlfriend.'

Ruby found her scroll, turned it to silent mode, and stepped out of her dorm. Nora was already outside and waiting. "So, ready to go?" Nora asked. Her voice held her usual hyper activeness, but there was a seriousness to it that very few people got to see.

Ruby nodded, following the orange haired girl out of the dorms. "So, where do you want to go?" She asked as the two entered the quad. They would take the staircase on the cliff down to a small dock, where a gondola would take them to Vale proper. Nora thought for a moment, her face scrunching up cutely.

"Well," She started. "I heard that a new restaurant opened up. We could go there." Nora said, her voice eager. "I hear they have really good cookies!" She added.

Ruby made half an attempt to contain her squeal. It still came out, but with much less excitement. "That sounds awesome!" Ruby said as the two reached the stairs. It was a long way down, but they weren't in a hurry.

"Hey, Ruby." Nora said, her voice the most serious Ruby had ever heard. The redhead turned to the other girl, a quizzical look on her face.

"Hm?" She asked, confused. Nora was never this serious. It was, to be brief, off-putting. "What is it?"

Nora huffed, as if clearing her head. They turned a corner, now facing the large lake at Vale's edge. "I was thinking. About us." She started. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. And not in the good way. Ruby felt a pit open in her stomach.

"What about us?" Ruby asked, her voice now apprehensive. Nora turned to the redhead with a small smile.

"I wanted to tell Ren about us." She said, her voice trying so hard to be happy. However, it was clear Nora wasn't sure. Ruby felt the heaviness in her chest leave. No, Nora wouldn't leave her like that.

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked as they turned another corner. They were about halfway down the cliff side now. Nora gave a weak nod. "Do you want me to be there?" Ruby offered, a kind smile on her face.

Nora turned to Ruby, an equally large smile on her face. "Would you?" She asked, a hint of pleading in her voice. Ruby gave Nora a small side hug, allowing the shorter girl to rest her head on her shoulder.

"Anything for you." Ruby said, resting her head on Nora's. "But, you'll have to do the same for me and Yang." She said, her voice teasing, but not forgetting the seriousness of the act. Nora chuckled and grabbed Ruby's hand, their fingers intertwining.

"Anything for you."

* * *

Yang and Ren had begun to search the various stores in Vale, but they had been at it for nearly an hour with little luck. None of the clerks had seen the two girls. Yang sighed heavily as they left what might have been the hundredth shop they entered.

"So, either they haven't left Beacon, or they aren't shopping." She said, her voice clearly exasperated. Ren nodded, though he looked much less agitated.

"It would seem so." He said. Looking around, his eyes caught a restaurant. He wasn't hungry, but he did notice something at lunch: Neither Ruby nor Nora ate anything. Nora not eating was unheard of. Ruby usually ate something, even if it was cookies.

"I think I know where they are." Ren said. Yang turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Or at least, where we could start looking." He pointed to the restaurant.

Yang followed Ren's line of sight and saw the eatery. She then let her mouth open ever so slightly. "You mean…?" She trailed, not able to finish her question. Ren nodded behind her.

"Yes." Was all he said. Yang still didn't say anything. Ren didn't know Yang very well, but he did know that Yang had a fairly short fuse, and that she could destroy anything if she set her mind to it. So, he treaded very lightly.

However, after a few moments, Yang let out a small laugh. "I'll be damned." She said, her face turned up with a smirk. Ren inwardly sighed. It didn't look like Yang was angry. At least, not yet.

The two began to search the various restaurants, looking for the two girls. It didn't take nearly as long as they thought: The third eatery, and one of the newest ones, contained the pair inside. Neither Ren nor Yang wanted to disturb the two. Not when they looked like they did now.

* * *

The restaurant was packed. Ruby looked around. It wasn't as fancy as many of the restaurants in the area, but it wasn't classified as fast food, either. After a few moments, they were taken to a table by a waitress, who then went to get them some drinks.

The menu contained various meals for all times of the day. Ruby looked through the lunch menu, her eyes scanning the various things over. There were sandwiches, burgers, salads and soups. Ruby felt her mouth water at the food items before her, but she settled for a turkey sandwich.

"So, whaddya think?" Nora asked as she looked her own menu over. "I'm still trying to decide whether I want the junior burger, or the chicken fingers." Nora sounded overly undecided. Ruby chuckled. One thing Nora liked was hyperbole. If she could exaggerate it, she did, usually to tremendous lengths.

However, when needed, Nora could be dead serious. Yeah, she liked to keep a cheery outlook on life, but she wasn't clueless. She understood that certain things needed to be handled with care, and she could be really thought out.

"Well, I've decided already." Ruby teased, setting her menu down. Nora pouted, but kept a smile on her face. "We could always just split the meal." Ruby suggested. Ruby knew she wouldn't eat her entire meal, and they still had dinner to look forward to. Even if they didn't fill up here, it wouldn't matter.

Nora thought for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, we could." She said, setting her menu down. A few moments later, the waitress brought their water, took their order, and headed back to have it filled.

Nora took a sip of water, then turned to Ruby. "So, since I'm gonna be talking to Yang, what's she like?" She asked, keeping her voice even. Ruby paused, slightly surprised by the question.

She took a moment to think the question over, and word her answer properly. "Well, she's kind, and easygoing, but she can be a bit…overprotective." Ruby answered, trying not to sound cynical. "I mean, don't get me wrong, she's only that way to help me, but sometimes it gets overbearing." Ruby added, taking a joking tone as she finished. Nora giggled. "What's Ren like?"

Nora smirked. "Well, he's not all that different than you see him." She said simply. "He doesn't let things get to him, at least not for very long." Ruby nodded in response.

"So, what's it about him that you're afraid to tell him about us?" Ruby asked gingerly. Nora's face went serious instantly, amazing the redhead. She felt bad for asking.

Nora sighed. "Well, it's not Ren that I'm worried about." She said finally, slouching in her seat. "I'm more worried about what my parents might say." Ruby understood immediately.

"So, they don't know?" Ruby asked softly, taking a sip of water. Nora nodded.

"Nope. They think me and Ren are together." She said, her voice taking a slightly humorous tone. "I never had the heart to tell them." And then Nora's voice took a slightly somber tone.

Ruby frowned. Sadness did not suit Nora, the girl who suggested to break Cardin's legs. The girl who gleefully impaled a Deathstalker with its own stinger. The girl who practically bounced off the walls if she had even the slightest amount of sugar.

Ruby reached over the table and took Nora's hand in her own. "Look." She started, her voice even and serious. "When the time comes, I'll be there with you." She said. Nora's face started to turn upwards with a smile.

"Thank you, Ruby." Nora said, her voice grateful. "That means a lot to me."

* * *

An hour later, Ruby and Nora were on their way back to Beacon, hands intertwined. They still a few minutes away from the dock, but neither cared.

Neither girl noticed the two walking behind them until it was too late. The wind shifted, and Ruby swore she could smell Yang's cheap perfume in the air. When she was certain Yang was behind her, she felt her stomach sink.

Nora obviously could tell someone familiar was behind her, and her face fell. "Oh, no…" She said quietly.

Ruby went to say something to Nora, but Yang was the one to grab their attention. "So, how was the shopping spree?" She said cheerily, but knowingly. Ruby sighed, and turned around. She saw Ren and felt Nora's grip on her hand get slightly tighter.

"Ren, I can explain…" Nora started, her voice smaller than it had ever been. Ruby wasn't sure if it was fear or something else, but she knew Nora was concerned.

Ren stepped forward, approaching the two. He looked down at the girls' clasped hands. "So, is there something you haven't told me, Nora?" He asked, his voice holding no resentment. Indeed, it was almost teasing.

Nora sighed, looking to Ruby. The redhead's face looked certain, if a little nervous. "Actually, there is, Ren." She said, confidence starting to come back.

She turned to Ren, but she found it hard to look him in the eyes. Still, she took a deep breath. "Ren, I'm gay. I've been so for quite a while now." She said, hoping to get the words out quickly. She still refused to look Ren in the eye. She gripped Ruby's hand tighter.

Ren hummed in response. "So it would seem." He said, his voice almost sounding like a laugh. "I take it you're out here on a date, then?" He added humorously.

Nora nodded, her confidence growing ever so much more. The smile on Ren's face seemed to make looking at him easier.

It was only then that the orange haired girl noticed Yang next to Ren. Yang's face was not angry. No, it too was turned up in a smile.

Ruby started to say something, but Yang cut her off. "I understand you not telling me, Ruby. I really do." She said knowingly. "It isn't my choice, I know." She added. Ruby felt a smile etching itself onto her face.

"Thanks, Yang." She said simply. Yang nodded, her smile deepening.

The four headed to the dock in silence. Each gondola could support two people, so Nora and Ruby went in the first one, while Ren and Yang took the next.

"That was a lot easier than I thought it'd be." Nora said as they left the first dock. Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, I thought for sure Yang would go all rage mode." Ruby said, striking as much of a pose as she could while seated in a small boat. Nora giggled at Ruby's antics.

"I'm glad she's not angry at me." Nora said, theatrically wiping her forehead. Now it was Ruby's turn to giggle.

"I'm not so sure about that…" Ruby teased, a devilish smirk on her face. Nora made a face of faux horror.

Then the two broke into laughter. There laughs shook the boat slightly, but it remained stable. "I guess I'll have to keep my guard up." Nora said between laughs.

The two settled down after a moment. The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, but it was probably no later than 4pm.

Ruby turned to Nora with a sincere look on her face. "Thanks for today, Nora. I really enjoyed it." She said. She saw Nora's face turn slightly pink. Ruby thought it was the cutest thing ever.

"It was nothing, really." The hammer wielder said. "If anything, I should be thanking you." She added.

Ruby gave Nora a quizzical look. "Why?" She asked, her voice imitating her confusion.

Nora smiled. "Well, no one else has put up with me as long as you have." She said. Now it was Ruby's turn to blush, a deep pink tinting her cheeks.

Ruby didn't get a chance to respond, because then she felt a pair of lips on her own. It was a soft kiss, lasting only briefly. But it might have well lasted for eternity.

Ruby's head was spinning. "So, thank you, Ruby." Nora said sincerely. Ruby could only nod in reply.

As the gondola docked, Ruby's scroll buzzed with a message. Opening it, Ruby saw the message from Yang.

'You call that a kiss?'

Ruby just laughed, feeling a head rest itself on her shoulder. The redhead quickly jotted down a response, sent it, and took Nora's hand in her own.

'You're just jealous.'


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! So, I know this was only supposed to be a one-shot. But, I couldn't help but write this. This pairing is so cute~!**

**Now, this story is going to be re-purposed as a series of connected one-shots. They will not be in chronological order, but they will be in the same continuity.**

**So, with that said, enjoy!**

**Edit: Since I proofread my stories myself, I don't always catch errors in them. Thankfully, merikflame caught one near the end (thanks). It should be fixed now.**

* * *

Nora awoke in the middle of the night. She was covered in cold sweat, her breathing stiff and quickened. 'Nightmare…' She told herself. She sighed, turning over in her bed.

Team RWBY had been chosen to scout the deep parts of the Emerald Forest. There were reports of slightly increased Grimm activity in the area, but they weren't sent on an extermination mission. This was a scouting mission, a day and a half venture at best.

That was three days ago.

Nora knew that Ruby would be fine. First of all, she had her team with her, one of those teammates being her hyper-protective older sister. There wasn't a thing in this world that could harm the scythe wielder, not when Yang was there.

But, no matter how hard she tried, Nora could not push the thought that something bad happened from her mind. Mental images of Ruby's body, or what might be left of it, flooded her mind, making sleep nigh impossible.

But fear of Ruby's well-being wasn't the only thing that was affecting the young hammer wielder. No, Ruby's departure was under less-than-companionable circumstances.

* * *

Nora was practically dancing in the halls. In her pocket, unknown to everybody except Ren and herself, were two tickets to the Remnant Hunter's Combat League, the largest sports entertainment company in the world. However, the extra ticket was not for Ren, not that he really cared.

No, the ticket was for Ruby. Things between the two had been slightly rocky, to be blunt. They rarely spent time together, Ruby focusing more and more of her energy on training exercises, and less on Nora. At first, it was commendable.

Now it was starting to get annoying. Nora wasn't easy to make angry, but one thing you did not want to see was an angry Nora Valkyrie. Ren had the 'pleasure' of seeing a truly angry Nora once, and he sincerely wished he never saw it again.

However, tonight was to be a good night. The tickets were a surprise, something that Nora decided on only a few days before. It was a good chunk of lien, a little over half of the orange-haired girl's savings, but only about half of that was the actual ticket costs. The rest was put aside for dinner reservations at one of the best restaurants in Vale, _Fleur d'Or_.

Nora returned to her room with her usual flourish, plopping onto her bed with an exaggerated sigh. Pyrrha smirked. "You're in a particularly good mood." She commented, Miló in javelin form as the flame-haired girl cleaned it.

The hammer wielder said nothing, but the smile on her face spoke volumes. "So, what'd you get Ruby this time?" The spear user asked in a knowing tone.

Nora shot a faux glare at Ren, who shook his head. "She figured it out on her own." Was his answer to the unasked question.

While she didn't quite believe the answer, the orange-haired girl didn't question him any further. "That's none of your beeswax." Nora retorted playfully, getting a genuine laugh from the reserved other girl.

"If you say so." Was her response.

Nora laid onto her bed and grabbed her scroll. Finding Ruby's contact info (which wasn't hard, as it was the first saved contact in the list), Nora immediately started typing her message.

'_I need to see you ASAP. I've got something for you.'_

The short message was sent immediately, and Nora waited with as much patience as possible for the scythe wielder to respond.

However, several minutes went by, and Nora's scroll remained silent. She frowned, both out of impatience and annoyance. Ren noticed this and immediately became worried. "What's wrong?" He asked carefully.

Nora turned to her longtime friend, her brow furrowed. However, she quickly let her true feelings fade from view. "Nothing." She lied, not that it'd do much. She knew that Ren knew. And Ren knew she knew he knew.

However, this time even Jaune didn't buy it. "You never were a good liar, Nora." He said in a half teasing, half concerned voice. "Is something going on between you two?" He asked, his voice perhaps not as careful as it should've been.

Nora exhaled heavily. "We've been having…issues." Her voice faded with each word. Actually saying it made it seem more…severe…than it really was. "Nothing big. We just haven't hung out in a while." She added, ensuring that her teammates didn't jump to the wrong conclusions.

Pyrrha nodded slowly, taking a moment to mull over what Nora had said. "You're afraid she's avoiding you..?" She asked, her voice halfway between concern and support. Pyrrha had nothing against the leader of the team across the hall, but she was, at the end of the day, just another student at Beacon. Nora was one of Pyrrha's closest friends, and her teammate, which trumped what Ruby was.

Hearing the words made Nora scared. She had never been outright left before. Nora always knew that, if the relationship started to go south, that Ruby would at least be courteous enough to talk it over with Nora.

After a few moments of silence, Jaune spoke. "I don't think Ruby would do that, Pyrrha." He said, trying to lighten the atmosphere slightly.

Pyrrha, however, didn't seem to buy it. "A person is rarely as deep as they let on." She retorted, but with no malice. "Do you want one of us to talk to her?" Pyrrha offered.

Nora immediately shook her head. "No, I don't want her to get the wrong idea if this really is nothing." She spoke, her voice deflated.

A few moments later, Nora's scroll buzzed. Moving with purpose, Nora slid the device open and saw a message from Ruby.

'_Met me in the quad.'_

Nora perked up. "I take it that was Ruby?" Ren asked rhetorically. Nora stood up, making a great effort to relax.

"I'll have to get changed, so I'll be back soon." And with that, Nora headed out of her room and towards the quad.

However, the enthusiasm that she had faded when she saw Ruby, or rather RWBY, gathered in the quad, in full combat gear.

Nora took a deep breath to calm herself. However, Ruby's face let Nora know her own face wasn't exactly a happy one.

Ruby approached, taking very ginger steps. "I'm gonna guess you're not happy…" Ruby started sheepishly.

Nora refrained from snapping, instead taking a moment to compose herself. "What gave it away?" She hissed, an uncharacteristic noise from the normally peppy girl.

Ruby took a step back. "Look, if there's something wrong you can tell me." The mostly redhead said, concern in her voice.

If looks could kill, then Nora could likely kill most of the Grimm in the Emerald Forest. "Yeah, there's something wrong, alright." Nora half-shouted, anger starting to seep into her voice. "For one, what the hell are you doing?"

Ruby, for her credit, didn't back down. "There's some unusual activity in the Emerald Forest." She informed, her voice firm despite her initial sheepishness. "We're going to investigate it."

Nora knew exactly what Ruby was talking about. Normally, it wouldn't be something to get angry over. At least, not angry at Ruby over. However, this was a volunteer only mission. Which only meant one thing.

The orange-haired girl frowned. "This is the fifth time you've volunteered for a mission in the past month!" She snapped, her voice much louder than anything up to that point.

This time, however, Ruby frowned. "And you know I volunteer for every mission!" She shot back. "You know that I'm going to take every opportunity to get better!"

Nora laughed bitterly. "And every time, you conveniently forget to tell _me_!" The hammer wielder yelled, enunciating "Me, your own goddamn girlfriend!"

Ruby felt a slight pang of guilt. However, it was buried underneath betrayal. "You don't trust me?" While there was pain in Ruby's voice, betrayal was the dominant tone.

Nora immediately regretted her choice of words, unable to answer. This only helped to further Ruby's now growing anger. "You think I'm cheating on you!?" Ruby half-shrieked.

There was a brief instant where the logical part of Nora's brain told her to try to apologize to Ruby. However, the instant passed, and in its place the heat of the moment took over. "Well, you definitely aren't making it hard to assume as much!" She shot back, her face flushed with anger.

It was clear that Ruby was restraining herself. From what, Nora wasn't sure. She had never seen Ruby angry before, just as Ruby had never seen her angry.

A few moments of silence past. "And here I thought we'd finally be able to spend some time together." Nora mused bitterly.

Ruby gave her an odd look. "What are you talking about?"

Nora pulled out one of the two tickets and held it in Ruby's face. "This, you idiot!" She scolded, anger causing her to shake. "I had an entire night planned for just the two of us." This was added with a hint of remorse.

Ruby immediately softened her expression. "You didn't say anything…" She trailed, her voice suddenly broken. It sounded as if she was ready to cry.

Nora sighed. "It was supposed to be a surprise." She said evenly, replacing the ticket in her pocket. "But I guess that doesn't matter anymore." The words came out with a calm hostility as Nora turned her back to the scythe wielder.

Ruby reached out for Nora's shoulder, but the other girl pulled away. "You've got a mission to complete." She informed bitterly.

Nora left Ruby standing in the quad, unable to turn around. Her emotions were flaring, making her vision blurry. She returned to her dorm, but her teammates did not great her in the usual way. Ren stood up, worry evident on his face, but Nora ignored him.

She approached Pyrrha and tossed the tickets at her. Pyrrha gave Nora a quizzical look, examining the tickets. "You wanted to go." Nora stated, her voice low and wavering. "Have fun."

With that, Nora left her teammates in stunned silence.

* * *

Nora recalled only bits and pieces of the rest of that night. She remembered heading to the gym to beat the crap out of a punching bag, which only resulted in three broken fingers. But the physical pain took her mind off the emotional pain she was feeling.

The next day, she didn't say much, which was concerning because there was rarely a moment that she was quiet. Ren had always joked that Nora said more in one day than anyone else would say in a week. But there just wasn't anything to say.

She was still angry with Ruby that night. She planned to have a long talk with Ruby once the young girl returned the next morning.

But Sunday came and went, and RWBY was still in the Emerald Forest. Everyone was talking about it. RWBY was the top class at Beacon, on par with some second and third year teams in regards to combat proficiency. This was a mission that shouldn't have taken more than a day.

And now they had been gone for two full days.

Nora's anger immediately became worry, further exacerbated by her last talk with Ruby. Nora didn't want that to be the last things she said to Ruby. If it was, if Ruby didn't return, then the guilt would probably kill the hammer wielder.

Tuesday was a blur. The only thing Nora could recall clearly was the messages she sent Ruby every hour. Each one featured copious use of words like 'I'm sorry,' 'I messed up,' and 'Forgive me.' But there was never a reply.

When night came around, Nora could barely function. She collapsed onto her bed, sleep immediately washing over her.

* * *

_Ruby ran. From what, she didn't know. But she wasn't going to stop to find out._

_Trees whizzed by, branches doing little to hinder the scythe wielder's sprint. A loud, low roar hit her ears, and she willed herself to move faster._

_In a burst of rose petals, Ruby jumped effortlessly over a river, landing on the other side clumsily. She fell onto her face, rolling into a nearby tree._

_She stood up, but she barely made it to her feet before a Beowolf charged from the trees. Ruby dodged to the right, immediately drawing Crescent Rose and decapitating the lone Grimm._

_But, Grimm rarely travel alone, and just as soon as the first was dead, five more took its place. Ruby wasn't in any shape to be fighting a pack of Beowolves alone, but she had no choice._

_The first Beowolf lunged. Ruby pointed Crescent Rose at the ground and fired, using the recoil to launch herself into the air._

_Another of the Grimm anticipated this and jumped at her, striking at her and sending her flying, her weapon falling harmlessly to the ground. Ruby hit the ground hard, rolling several times, a pained scream leaving her lips._

_The young girl tried to make it to her feet, but a Beowolf charged her. It bit down on her shoulder, the fangs easily breaking skin and spilling blood. Yet another scream left her lips, a scream of absolute horror._

_Another Beowolf charged, this one grabbing her thigh. Another grabbed her other shoulder. And all Ruby could do was scream as the Grimm pulled her apart._

* * *

Nora awoke with a jolt, tears on her face. That had been, by far, the most visceral, and realistic, nightmare that Nora had ever had. It did little to give her hope. If anything, it just made things worse.

The hammer wielder couldn't help but sniffle, looking up at the ceiling above her bed. There was no way that Ruby was coming back.

And then she heard a faint buzzing.

Nora looked around the room for the source of the sound. But she didn't see anything that could've made the noise.

Then Nora felt a vibration on her side. A vibration that could've only come from one things.

With anxious haste, Nora fished the small device out of her pocket. She opened it, the faint light filling the dark room, making the girl squint. When her eyes finally adjusted, though, her heart skipped several beats.

'_Meet me in the quad.'_

Nora never ran faster, several emotions driving her on. But, paramount in her mind was relief. But she had to see for herself. She needed to see with her own eyes.

The chill in the air did little to halt the short girl's sprint. Indeed, it was only when she made it to the quad that she finally stopped. She very nearly broke down.

There, combat skirt slightly tattered and covered in minor scrapes and scratches, stood Ruby, a warm smile on her face.

The hammer wielder threw herself into Ruby's arms, causing the slightly taller girl to stagger. Every emotion that Nora had felt over the last two days spilled out.

"Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again." Nora sobbed, emphasizing each word with a soft blow to Ruby's chest. The younger girl simply stroked Nora's hair soothingly, taking whatever punishment the shorter girl dished out.

"I'm sorry for making you worry." Ruby whispered, holding Nora as close as possible.

The two remained like this, in each other's embrace, for several moments, before Nora could finally speak. "What happened?"

Ruby smiled. "Nothing big, we just got cut off." She said simply. "A few Grimm tried to fight us, but all they really got was our scrolls." Ruby pulled out what remained of her scroll. When Ruby opened it, it fell in two, one half falling haphazardly to the ground. "Had to borrow Prof. Ozpin's..." She added.

Nora chuckled for the first time since Ruby left. She then swallowed thickly, their last encounter forefront in her mind. "Ruby, I'm sorry…"

Ruby cut her off, putting a finger over her lips. "Don't." She said simply. "I should be the one apologizing." The scythe wielder leaned over and kissed Nora on the forehead. "I should've told you about the mission. You had every right to get mad at me." Ruby smiled again. "I'm sorry, Nora. Can you forgive me?"

Nora didn't answer verbally. Instead she simply pulled Ruby down and kissed her deeply. All of the fear, the regret, and the sorrow she had felt in the last two days was displayed in the kiss. It was full of passion, of longing, and love.

The two only pulled apart when their lungs couldn't take any more. Nora caught her breath before she finally answered Ruby's question. "You _never_ have to ask forgiveness."


End file.
